


Men and Tea

by the_realduck



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 20:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/871680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_realduck/pseuds/the_realduck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most of Sirius’ epiphanies happen with tea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Men and Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://maraud-rs.livejournal.com/profile)[**maraud_rs**](http://maraud-rs.livejournal.com/).  Thanks to [](http://escribo.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://escribo.livejournal.com/)**escribo**  for the beta :)

 

 

It was not a very well-known fact that Sirius Black likes to enjoy a cup of tea in the mornings. After all, tea is not generally associated with the leather-jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding hooligan type. In fact, the first time James had found out about his early-morning habit, he had stared at Sirius for a full 5 minutes before shaking his head and announcing that Sirius had the manliness equivalent to a fruit basket and might as well dance around with a daisy chain on his head.

Sirius set him straight shortly afterwards.

He had always enjoyed tea in the mornings though, even at Hogwarts. The raw taste left in his mouth as the hot liquid burned down his throat often kick-started the ideas for the Marauders most famous pranks.

However, pranking was not the only thing he thought about as he reveled in warm, liquid perfection. He had also had the occasional breakthrough as well.

At approximately 7:39 on Saturday, November 15th 1979, Sirius had a breakthrough. He had been musing the possibility of a cat having a human as its animagus form, when the thought _Remus would say that this is a waste of brain cells_ flitted across his brain. Immediately his brain jumped from _Remus_ to _Books_ , and bounced back to _Remus_.

Which then went to _Bloody Gorgeous_.

Sirius started at this, and watched as some of his precious tea sloshed over the rim of his chipped blue cup. While this was happening, _Bloody Gorgeous_ melted into _Shag_ , sparking an unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome, burn in his lower regions. Sirius frowned, and prodded his brain to think _Remus_ again as an experiment. The same thought process occurred, until he reached _Bloody Gorgeous_ , which then turned into a mental picture of a grinning face, with big blue eyes and honey brown hair. This set off another burn, but this time the burn eased into him, forming somewhere between his heart and his left lung.

Sirius couldn’t even bring himself to have another sip of tea; only two words formed on his tongue.

“Oh bugger.”

~~~

On December 21st Sirius had another epiphany.

He was thinking about the night before, and mulling over how Remus had been conversing quietly with Marlene McKinnon after the Order meeting. Sirius had looked up from his conversation with James to find Marlene nearly completely pressed up against Remus, and had been immediately blinded by a strange emotion ever since. It was choking, consuming. He had wanted nothing more than to stomp over and yank Remus away from Marlene’s sweet smiles and full, pouty lips.

Then there was a thunderclap of recognition. No slow burns this time around. Sirius realized that he was...

Was...

_Jealous._

Sirius Black was never jealous. He never had a reason to be; who wouldn’t want him? He only had to wink and everyone came running!

But not Remus.

Sirius growled at the turn his thoughts were taking. For the first time in years, he abandoned his tea on the kitchen table, storming out of the flat to find an outlet for his anger.

~~~

January had come and gone, and February first dawned with another steaming cup of Earl Grey.

Sirius was sitting quietly. There were no epiphanies this morning; just the remembrance of the night before.

_I thought you had a date with the Jessica bint, Moony?_

_Don’t be ridiculous, Sirius, why would I need her when I have you?_

Really, what was that supposed to mean? Lately it had seemed that Remus had been sending extra smiles his way and also had developed a love for brushing his long fingers over Sirius’ wrist. Yet, Sirius couldn’t quite wrap his head around these occurrences. This was Remus after all. There couldn’t be any hidden meaning if it was _Remus_.

Sirius took a large gulp of tea, hoping that the spark of hope that kept flaring up would be drowned once and for all.

~~~

On March 18th, Sirius was shaking so badly that he could barely pour his hot water.

Remus was hurt.

There had been a mission, and a raid, but nothing had prepared Sirius for seeing the sudden bloom of crimson across Remus’ chest. He had nearly lost his mind with worry, numbly flinging spells left and right, until he had reached Remus. Fear had gripped his heart and squeezed painfully, giving an evil twist when Remus had looked up at him and murmured, Padfoot.

Even now, the memory was enough to make him drop scalding hot drips of liquid on his hand. He could barely feel the pain.

He looked away eventually, not able to stand the sight of his palms and fingers, the hands that had so recently been sticky with the blood of Remus Lupin, his best friend and the man he loved.

 _Love_. Sirius froze mid sip.

This was really not the time for that particular breakthrough.

~~~

On April 8th, there was a knock at his door.

Sirius looked up, puzzled, and left his tea steaming on the table.

In a few minutes he returned, with a familiar werewolf in tow. “Wasn’t expecting you this morning, Moony.” He fumbled his words a bit, eventually settling for, “Want a cuppa?”

Remus gave him a small smile, the one that made Sirius’ toes curl, and nodded.

As Sirius reached for a mug, he heard Remus clear his throat behind him. He turned around, raised an eyebrow.

Remus was fidgeting and twisting the hair at the nape of his neck slightly – a sure sign that he was nervous. He cleared his throat again and met Sirius’ gaze. “I’ve been thinking.” he said, visibly trying to calm himself.

Sirius, despite his curiosity, smirked and said drily, “What a novel concept.”

Remus shot him his patented _shut-up-Padfoot_ glare, and continued. “I’ve been thinking. Mostly about how life is short.”

Sirius winced, trying not to remember how Remus had a firsthand account of this knowledge.

“Because of the shortness, I have decided that you need to know some... things.”

His eyes narrowing slightly, Sirius replied, “What kind of things?”

Remus was fidgeting again, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Things like how your need for tea in the mornings makes my knees spasm.”

Sirius blinked and wondered when he started holding his breath. “Your knees?” He didn’t fully understand how they had got to this topic.

“Sometimes my fingers, too.”

Amazingly, Sirius’ own fingers started to tremble slightly. He took a good long look at Moony, who was staring down at the stained surface of the table top and blushing fantastically. Sirius set the extra mug on the counter, and felt a grin taking over his face.

“You know Moony, for someone who needs a book attached to them at all times; I think you could have found a better way to tell me you fancy me.”

Remus looked up and gave him a watery smile. “Yes well. I figured that I might as well get the embarrassing factors in the open first.”

Sirius was having a hard time breathing through the giddiness suffusing through his chest, but he somehow managed to move over to Moony anyway.

“You’re ridiculous. “ Sirius announced, and then there was no more speaking for a long while.

Sirius’ tea grew cold.

~~~

When Sirius walked into the kitchen the next morning, there were two cups of tea at his table, along with a sleep rumpled Remus Lupin.

“Morning,” was the only word Remus managed to get out before he was yawning and stretching his impossibly long, slender limbs.

Sirius couldn’t help the fuzziness that erupted in him. “I thought you hated mornings?”

Remus gave him an innocent smile, sending Sirius back to their Hogwarts years as he replied, “I do.”

Sirius was about to point out the obvious ( _Well then, what are you doing awake, y’daft thing_ ) but then he realized that Moony was sending him a knowing look and the fuzziness intensified. He suddenly wanted to tell Remus about everything, ever, and how spasming knees was really nothing compared to the way Remus could make his heart stop.

Instead, he brushed his fingertips along Remus’ jaw, and sat down in front of his cup.

“Thank you” he murmured, as he lifted the cup to his mouth and hid a smile behind the rim.

It was possibly the best cup of tea that he had ever had.  



End file.
